NBA Salary Cap Expected to See Major Increase in Upcoming Seasons
The NBA salary cap is expected to increase drastically in the very near future, which will have league-wide implications.
DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony reported the rough estimates for the salary cap in the years ahead:
The huge jump from 2015-16 to 2016-17 was expected after the NBA Players Association decided against a smoothing of the cap, which would have spread out the salary-cap increases over several years.
Instead, salaries will see a massive spike once the 2016 offseason arrives, the impact of which will be felt across the league.
NBC Sports' Kurt Helin believes teams might be more willing to pay above market value this summer with an eye toward future cap figures.
In addition, more players might be willing to follow the lead of LeBron James, who eschewed a long-term deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers last offseason. He opted for a shorter deal that will allow him to make more money down the road.
As it stands now, the maximum salary for an NBA player is a tad over $20 million, per Larry Coon. There are a few exceptions, most notably Kobe Bryant, who will make $25 million in 2015-16 and $26.25 million in 2016-17.
Since a player is allowed to command anywhere from 25 percent to 35 percent—depending on how much time he has spent in the league—ESPN.com's Marc Stein sees a future in which some stars earn upwards of $30 million a year:
Suddenly, teams that might not have had cap flexibility otherwise will have more money to pursue another marquee free agent, while teams that have money coming off the books could be able to sign two or even three big names in one summer.
